7. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
It is clear that IT can be of much use for KM in construction organisations. It can be essential for the storage of explicit knowledge in databases and repositories but also as a communication device, through e-mail systems and Groupware. The empirical evidence suggests that IT is used to a certain extent within construction organisations, however, there is a general acceptance that it could be improved. It is also acknowledged that face-to-face interaction and verbal conversation are often more efficient in sharing and transferring tacit knowledge, while IT is more useful for the transmission of explicit knowledge and information. However, this may be due to the absence of a formal strategy or lack of awareness among staff of the potential benefits of IT specific to the organisation. It needs to be understood in the context of the corporate strategy and organisational culture so that IT usage can be tailored to the needs of the business.
Compared to the situation last decade ago, IT is becoming more sophisticated and is being recognised among construction organisations as a useful and effective tool for KM. The Internet and corporate intranets are especially commonplace in such environments, for the effective acquisition and transfer of knowledge and information. However, despite greater availability of more sophisticated IT, such as Groupware and Knowledge maps, perceptions about more conventional techniques for acquiring, developing and applying knowledge, such as telephone and face-to-face interaction, seem unchanged. This is perhaps explained by the fact that the construction industry is subject to cost and time constraints. Furthermore, projects are short- term endeavours, posing difficulties with building teams, ‘Communities of Practice’ and trust. There are, also, difficulties associated with investing time and money in educating employees about the potential benefits of IT to their working patterns. People tend to prefer familiarity over change and incorporating new technologies into the workplace takes time and effort. It is recommended that managers recognise the benefits of IT and implement